Discover the best audiobook sites, audiobook services, and audiobook clubs that make it cheap and easy for you to have a great book to listen to anywhere and everywhere you go. I read 75+ audiobooks per year in these exact ways. (Hint: Many are free and others have free trials!)
Below are the best audiobook services I currently have on my cell phone:
I discuss these and more of the best audiobook apps and streaming audiobook services I’ve used over many years in detail below, with recommendations for which audiobook service is best for you specifically, including both free and paid options (and free trials). I included my personal top pros and cons for each service — the things that actually matter to me in practice as a regular user.
As you can see, I personally use several of the best audiobook sites at the same time, so you too may find multiple solutions for yourself too!
Audiobooks were a total game changer for me, and they are the #1 reason I am now able to read more and more books each year. I have one on at *most* times when I am doing mundane tasks in both my work and my personal lives every single day of the year. I simply wouldn’t have the time to read so many books without them. (Plus, they’re fun and immersive!)
Let’s explore the best audiobook sites I personally recommend as an avid listener.
Best Audiobook Sites
- Audible: (paid) best overall
- Audiobooks.com: (paid) best value for expansive choices
- Book of the Month: (paid) best for readers interested in hardcovers and audiobooks
- Chirp: (paid) best for cheap flash deals
- Libby: (free) best free option
- Libro.fm: (paid) best for supporting independent bookstores
- Project Gutenberg: (free) best for books in the public domain
- Everand: (paid) best for readers who consume several audiobooks per month
- Spotify: (free and paid options) best for limited free options on an easy-to-use platform
- YouTube: (free) best for limited free options with visuals on an easy-to-use platform
Details About the Best Audiobook Sites
Audible
- Best place for audiobooks overall
- Cost: Multiple paid subscription options; free trial available
Details
Audible is Amazon’s audiobook service, and it’s the leader of the pack in many ways. Generally, the way it works for most members is that a monthly fee gets you access to one audiobook of your choice from their massive library of several hundreds of thousands of books, as well as unlimited access to the Audible “Plus” catalog (of 11,000+ titles).
I’ve been a subscriber on and off for many years now. I’ve only unsubscribed when I didn’t need more books at the moment, and it’s always been super easy with just a few clicks and no headaches. You can also easily return titles for any reason in just a few clicks, which really helps when a title is just not working for you on audio.
Audible undoubtedly has the biggest catalog that never disappoints me when I’m shopping for something specific, and the app works seamlessly with the ability to fully customize the speed, which has always been a benefit for me.
(Learn More: Audible FAQs)
Pros
- Largest selection of hundreds of thousands of audiobooks
- You own the audiobooks you purchase with credits/money
- Lots of exclusive content, freebies, and sales, including unlimited access to the Audible “Plus” catalog (of 11,000+ titles), the ability to buy extra credits at a discount, and 30% off additional purchases on the app
- Highly functional and easy-to-use app
- Extremely easy to return books and make changes to your account with just a few clicks
- Can sync to your Amazon Kindle/the Kindle app
Cons
- Paid option that supports a large company versus independent bookstores
- “The Plus Catalog” is fairly limited in its selection
- Credits expire 12 months after they are issued, so you need to be sure to use them
Audiobooks.com
- Best value for expansive choices
- Cost: $14.95 per month for 1 book of your choice plus 1 free book from the VIP catalog OR you can join a “Club” (based on genre) and get unlimited access to all of that club’s titles; free trial available
Details
Audiobooks.com similarly has a large catalog from which you can purchase an audiobook each month with your credit plus some bonus perks, including the ability to choose an added title each month from the VIP program, and 2-for-1 book deals with nice selections from which to choose.
The option to join a “Club” instead gives you unlimited monthly listening, but it’s only in a selected genre and the catalogs aren’t that impressive, in my opinion. I haven’t felt enticed to join one to date.
Pros
- Large selection of over 375,000 audiobooks
- You own the books you purchase with credits/money
- Exclusive members sales (like 2-for-1 deals)
- An extra book for “free” every month in the VIP program
- Ability to choose instead to listen unlimited through Audiobook Clubs
- Variety of ways to reach customer support by live chat, email, or phone
Cons
- Subscription is paid
- Return policy is unclear (return at their discretion)
- You don’t own the audiobooks you get from the VIP program
- Clubs have limited titles available
Book of the Month
- Best for readers interested in hardcovers and audiobooks
- Cost: $16.99 for one book per month with the ability to add on books at discounted rates; discounted trial available
Details
Book of the Month (BOTM) is one of the most popular book subscription clubs out there, and I’ve used it on and off for several years now, depending on whether I need new books at the moment. It’s a fun, affordable, and helpful book subscription service. Each month, they pick out five great new books, which are hot new releases and even some not yet publicly released books in a variety of categories, and you get to pick one hardcover title (plus any add-ons you’d like).
Are you wondering why I said “hardcover”? Well, recently, they added the option to use your credits for audiobooks in the app! Game changer!! Of course, the downside is that you’re limited to books in their catalog. That being said, they usually have the best of the best new books available.
Pros
- Choose hardcover or audiobook formats
- You keep the audiobooks you purchase
- Earn a free book credit for every 5 audiobook purchases
Cons
- Paid subscription service
- Limited selection
- Not available on all devices as of the time of posting
- Return policy is unclear (You must contact them with your request.)
- You need credits to purchase audiobooks
Chirp
- Best for cheap flash deals
- Cost: up to 95% off retail price
Details
Chirp is an app that offers flash sales on different audiobooks daily at massive discounts. Simply sign up for email alerts and download the app, and you will start receiving daily deals. I get SO excited when I see an audiobook deal for a title on my wish list!
While the selection is very limited each day, you are still bound to find deals that interest you here and there. I’d say that a few times per month I’m really compelled by an offering, and they do vary from classics to modern bestsellers.
Pros
- Buy only what you want
- Large discounts
- Fully customizable speeds
- Money back guarantee
Cons
- Limited selection
- Deals expire
Libby (and Other Library Apps)
- Best free option
- Cost: Free
Details
There’s arguably nothing I love more than the library, so of course, it’s my personal favorite of these best audiobook sites. If the cost of audiobooks is an issue for you, but you still want a large selection of audiobooks, the Libby app (which delivers audiobooks on behalf of the library straight to your mobile device) is a no-brainer. In fact, it’s even a no-brainer if you’re a billionaire! Put those tax dollars to work for you.
I use it almost every day. It’s especially great for older titles, as there can be waiting lists for new titles, but I have gotten in the habit of placing holds on newer titles as early as possible (or, just waiting it out), so it’s not a dealbreaker by any means. You can also request that your library purchase specific titles for you directly on the app — all for free.
In short, it’s amazing.
Pros
- Free
- Generally large selections of titles
- Can join multiple libraries on the app (For example, the Philadelphia library is accessible to all Pennsylvania residents.)
- Fully customizable speeds
- Additional lending apps may be available to you, like Hoopla (Check with your local library.)
Cons
- Waiting lists for specific titles
- Not uncommon for a title to not be available at all, especially if it’s older or rare
- Limits on holds and the number of books you can check out at one time
Libro.fm
- Best for supporting independent bookstores
- Cost: $14.99 per month for one audiobook of your choice; free trial available
Details
Libro.fm is the best audiobook subscription for those who want a premium audiobook service, but prefer to support independent bookstores. The library is vast and listening on the Libro.fm app is easy.
As a bonus, you support your local economy with this service. I absolutely love Libro.fm and have used it regularly for years. I can generally find what I want and listen to it with no problems at a competitive price.
Pros
- Large library of over 275,000 audiobooks
- Support your local bookstore of choice (or all independent bookstores generally)
- Fully customizable speeds
- Credits never expire
- 30% off additional audiobook purchases each month, plus a great Sale page for select titles
Cons
- Occasionally I can’t find a title I want
- Paid subscription service
- You have to reach out to customer service to request a return
Project Gutenberg
- Best for books in the public domain
- Cost: Free
Details
Project Gutenberg is the best site for audiobooks in the public domain. It’s an online library of over 60,000 books, focusing on older works that are the world’s great literature. Personally, I have used this website to find free Agatha Christie books.
While most of these books are in digital format, you can find some audio formats to stream.
Pros
- Free
Cons
- Very limited titles
- Limited ways to listen
Everand
- Best for readers who consume several audiobooks per month
- Cost: $11.99 per month for access to the full catalog; free trial available
Details
Everand is the best audiobook subscription for those who consume a lot of books. It was a savior to me during the Coronavirus pandemic when I was consuming so many more audiobooks than normal, and I’ve used it nearly every day since that time.
It’s a subscription service by which members can listen to an “unlimited” number of digital products, including tons of popular, newly released fiction books on audio via desktop or on the Everand app.
I say “unlimited” in quotes because the service generally only allows you to access about 4 newer releases a month, then it restricts your use to older releases until the next month begins. Still, it’s a great value with over 300,000+ audiobooks to choose from, and I am a very happy subscriber for several years now, listening to several titles per month with ease.
Pros
- Immediate access to most books
- Large catalog to choose from
- Lots of new titles in the catalog
- Access to older titles is unlimited
Cons
- Paid subscription service
- Fairly limited access to newer titles
- Limited to titles in the catalog
- Occasional technical issues with the app
- Limited ability to customize the speed
Spotify
- Best for limited free options on an easy-to-use platform
- Cost: Free and paid options
Details
You may listen to music on Spotify, but have you ever listened to books there?! I’ve often found classic audiobooks there, but I’ve heard you can find some newer titles too!
I usually just search for a title, then look for a free option (often under “Podcasts,” actually). I’m seeing a lot more paid options on there now (these fall under the “Audiobooks” section), though, so I think it’s more worth your time to stick to looking for old books in the public domain. If you want something newer for free, it’s much easier to use the library!
Pros
- Free for many older, public domain titles
- Easy-to-use app and desktop applications
- Access to other Spotify perks, like the ability to create playlists
Cons
- Hard to find free titles
- Paid options can be pricy
- Limited ability to customize the speed
YouTube
- Best for limited free options with visuals on an easy-to-use platform
- Cost: Free
Details
You can also stream certain free audiobooks on YouTube. Again, this will generally pertain to older classics for which the U.S. copyright has expired. I like to “read” children’s books on YouTube because there is often a visual component to the reading as well.
Pros
- Free and easy access
- Some audiobooks have visual components
Cons
- Very limited titles are available
- Limited ability to customize the speed
Frequently Asked Questions
Now you can make an informed decision about the best audiobook sites, services, and subscriptions that will work best for you.
The best site for audiobooks overall is Audible. It has the largest catalog available, plus exclusive content, a highly efficient app, and stellar customer service, as it has a large parent company with massive resources, Amazon.
The best site for free audio books is your local library. Libraries generally have large catalogs from which you can choose, and you can request that certain titles be purchased for you to borrow. You can borrow free audiobooks from the library through the Libby app on your mobile device.
You can get unlimited audiobooks for free from your local library. (However, you can only borrow a certain amount of titles at any one given time.) You can borrow them through the Libby app on your mobile device.
The cheapest and easiest way to get the audiobooks of your choice is from your local library, as they are free, and there are large catalogs from which you can choose. You can borrow them through the Libby app on your mobile device.
There are several useful monthly subscriptions for audiobooks, including Audible, Audiobooks.com, Book of the Month, Libro.fm, and Everand. They offer a variety of services, including audiobooks of your choice and unlimited access to certain catalogs of audiobooks.
Audible, which is owned by Amazon, has the largest audiobook library.
Conclusion
Now you know the details, pros, and cons of the best audiobook sites, based on my experience as an avid audiobook reader (listener). While I love to check out audiobooks for free at my local library, I also recommend you sign up for free trials of some of my favorite paid audiobook services, including Audible (best overall), Libro.fm (best for supporting independent bookstores), and Everand (best for readers who consume several audiobooks per month.
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